Absolute
by RaiStorm
Summary: A huge blizzard causes school to be canceled for a week, so the band goes to Mugi's winter vacation cabin in the mountains. Sounds like trouble! Mio x Ritsu
1. No Big Deal, Right?

Ok, so this story was inspired by music from the Fray, namely the song "Absolute."

It's a great song, so I encourage you to Youtube it!

As always, this will end up being Mio x Ritsu. ;)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"Yui-senpai! I'm full!" Azusa yelled indignantly, shoving an offered piece of pizza away from her face. Yui faked disappointment.

"Aw, Azu-nyan…" Yui produced a few crocodile tears, and the dark-haired girl huffed and folded her arms across her chest. Mugi giggled from across the living room. They were at Yui's house for a sleepover to celebrate the success of their first live show. Everyone was there except their drummer and bassist.

"I'm so bored… where's Richaaannn!?" Yui moaned, rolling languidly on the floor, obviously at a loss without her partner in crime.

"I just got a text from her. They're on their way," Mugi waved her phone from her seat on the couch.

xXx

"Mio! Hurry up, we're late!"

"Calm down Ritsu, I'm coming…" Mio ran down the stairs and met her best friend at the door, a bag on her shoulder. Ritsu, who was wearing a backpack, grinned at her and gestured for them to go. Mio locked the door to her house and scurried after her.

With one last mischevious glance at Mio, Ritsu dashed off ahead of her and down the road.

"Oi! Where are you going so quickly!?"

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Ritsu's head. She leapt into a bush when she was sure Mio couldn't see her. When Mio finally caught up, Ritsu was nowhere to be found.

It was quiet, too quiet…

.

.

.

.

"Gah! Ritsu!!" Mio stumbled from the force of a snowball hitting her face. The culprit was snickering from her hiding spot, trying to keep quiet, but Mio heard it and scooped up some of the icy fluff in her palms. Ritsu was too caught up in her hushed laughter to hear the devil approach from behind her. She had no time to react when she felt a hand pull the collar of her jacket, and felt a handful of snow plummet down her bare back.

"AHHHHH!" Ritsu shot up from her crouching position, hopping up and down and shaking the back of her shirt desperately. Mio, satisfied with her revenge, casually continued down the road to Yui's house. "H-Hey! W-Wait up Mio-chan!" Ritsu shivered, racing after the bassist with a snowball behind her back.

xXx

_Knock, knock._

"They're here!" Yui cheered and rushed to the front door. She threw it open it to find two snowmen that seemed to be breathing very heavily. "Er… hello?"

"Yui, it's us." Mio sighed, Ritsu snickered.

"…"

By now, Azusa and Mugi were crowded behind Yui, staring at the pair with expressionless faces. Mio's face turned red hot, causing the snow on her face to evaporate into water, then to steam. The group erupted into laughter at the poor girl's expense.

Ritsu noticed Mio's embarrassment and threw her arm around Mio's shoulders, wiping some snow off the front of her coat. She used this action to hide a whisper in her ear, "I'll make it up to you later, pal." Mio gave her a weak smile.

They went inside and Mio and Ritsu stripped off their wet jackets and huddled by the fireplace. Mugi, being the wonderful mother-like person she was, brought them two mugs of piping hot chocolate.

"Hmmmm, Mugi-chan is so awesome…" Ritsu put her face in the steam and breathed in the heavenly aroma. Mio hesitated before doing the same.

"Thanks, Mugi," Mio said politely. She glanced at her companion, who's eyes were closed in pure bliss, a whipped cream mustache adorning her top lip. The raven-haired girl chuckled as Yui snapped a picture with her brand new digital camera. Mio mouthed a 'good job' to the brunette, who gave her a toothy grin and a thumbs up.

Suddenly, Azusa appeared through the threshold holding an armful of DVD's. She smiled bashfully.

"Uh… anyone wanna watch a movie?"

Yui squealed and tackled her, sending the movies scattered on the floor and claiming something about Azu-nyan having the greatest ideas. Mio facepalmed while Mugi stifled a giggle. Ritsu was in her own little hot chocolate world.

Mio had to drag Ritsu by the collar, but soon they all made it to the living room. Ui supplied them with enough pillows and blankets for at least fifteen people, and enough popcorn to feed twenty. Then she said something about going to see Jun, and reminded Yui to clean up after they were done. Yui saluted dutifully and gave her sister a crushing hug goodbye.

"Er… what movie are we watching?" Mio asked a little nervously. She glanced reluctantly at Ritsu, who smirked, knowing full well the meaning behind the question.

"How about Saw III!?" She offered, causing Mio to smack her in the back of the head violently. "Ow!"

Mugi spoke up. "Er, I think we should watch this one." She held up an American romantic comedy, _Music and Lyrics_. Mugi flipped it around and skimmed the description. "It says it about a popular lyricist and a washed-up musician that collaborate and end up falling in love." Mugi, Mio, and Yui collectively sighed and got dreamy eyes. Azusa and Ritsu looked at each other and shook their heads, they were outnumbered. "Alright, pop it in." Ritsu grumbled. _Maybe I'll just take a nap or something…_

It was about halfway through the movie, and Ritsu didn't fall asleep. On the contrary, she was pretty interested in the story. It reminded her of Mio and herself… not that she thought of them being romantically involved, but…

She was jolted out of her thoughts when she felt something heavy on her shoulder. Mio was using her as a pillow, fast asleep. _Hm, I thought she was the one that was excited about this movie._ Ritsu weighed her options. One, she could pull a prank. Two, she watch the rest of the movie and let her sleep, suffering the embarrassment from her friends later, or three, she could... pull a prank.

_Ugh… decisions, decisions._

However, her mind went blank when she turned her head back to her sleeping companion. Mio looked so peaceful. Ritsu's hand seem to move on its own accord and ran its fingers though the silky black locks. Mio sighed contently in her sleep, and Ritsu took it as a cue to continue. A few moments later, Ritsu's eyelids started to feel heavy. The continuous stroking was hypnotizing. She gently rested her cheek on the top of Mio's head.

Because of Mugi's ever observant nature, this interaction did not go unnoticed.

"So cute," she whispered to herself, but Yui and Azusa heard and followed her gaze. They gasped at the adorable sight.

"Yui-senpai, quick! Take a picture!" Azusa whispered urgently.

"Oh! Right, yeah!" Yui fumbled around in the blankets, pulled out her camera, and snapped three shots. They sighed dreamily as Ritsu twitched and slowly draped an arm over Mio, who mumbled something that could've either been, "Ritsu, you moron..." or "I chew blue corn..."

"Hey, Yui, Azusa-chan?" Mugi turned to her friends with a curious look on her face.

"Yeah?"

"Have you been… hm… how should I put this… getting vibes from them lately?"

"What do you mean, Mugi-chan?" Yui cocked her head to the side.

"I don't know… it's like…well…" She gestured to the sleeping pair, hoping to get her point across without actually voicing it.

"I know what you mean Mugi-senpai," Azusa nodded and leaned forward. "Like they… _like_ each other?"

Yui scoffed and threw her hands in the air. "Of course they like each other! They're best friends!"

Azusa facepalmed. "No, you idiot! Like they… you know… uh…" She looked desperately to the blonde-haired girl for help. Mugi shook her head. There was no use trying to explain the concept to Yui, at least not right now. Fortunately, their conversation was interrupted by the ending credits on the TV screen.

"Aw, movie's over…" Yui sighed. Mugi and Azusa glanced at each other, then to Mio and Ritsu, and smiled secretly.

xXx

Mio was the first to wake up. Her grey eyes opened slowly, her vision was blurry and her body felt heavy from a good night's sleep. No, it was heavy because of something else.

._..Ritsu?_

The bassist was curled up against the drummer, who had an arm wrapped warmly around her. Mio blushed, not knowing what to do. If she moved, Ritsu would wake up and it would be a very awkward situation for both of them, but even if she waited, it would still be awkward. Someone would have to move eventually. Ritsu twitched and she froze. A few tense moments passed, and Ritsu did not stir again. Mio released the breathe she was holding. She decided she might enjoy this while it lasted, Ritsu is rarely quiet, and she was quite comfortable anyway. The dark-haired girl sighed and relaxed into the warm embrace. _Normal friends do this, right? It's no big deal._

_...Do normal friends do this?_

Mio's eyes shot open. There was no denying that she enjoyed being held by the brunette, but... she didn't swing that way. _Right?_

She could feel the drummer's soft, warm breathing ruffle her hair, and her eyelids fluttered shut. This... was so _peaceful_. Her thoughts drifted back to the previous evening, when they were having a snowball fight on Yui's street.

**Flashback**

"O-Oi! That really hurt, Ritsu!" Mio yelled, rubbing the spot on her head where she was pelted with a rather large snowball. She crouched on the ground, slightly dizzy from the blow. "What was that, an ice ball?"

"Eh? Mio, you're ok, right?" Ritsu crouched down beside her friend, hands poised to do something, but they weren't quite sure what. "I didn't mean..."

Mio smirked, everything was going according to plan. As Ritsu fussed over her, she inconspicuously gathered snow into her arms bit by bit.

"Er... Mi-?"

Before Ritsu could finish her statement, Mio tackled her to the ground, shoving all the snow she could into her face. "Gah!! Mio- ugh!"

"Ha! I beat you at your own game," Mio boasted, crossing her arms over her chest and refusing to let her companion up. Ritsu desperately attempted to wipe the snow off her face, but it was like trying to wipe of wet sand, the more you tried, the more got stuck on you. "Ah, it's so cold it burns!" Ritsu whimpered as she writhed beneath the raven-haired girl.

Mio eyes softened and she sighed, cursing her sympathetic heart. She took off her scarf and proceeded and wipe Ritsu's face gently with it. "Idiot..." she murmered. Ritsu stopped thrashing and stared up at her with tender, slightly confused amber eyes. Mio didn't look away. In fact, she couldn't look away. It was like a magnet was holding their eyes in place, and even pulling them closer together. Ritsu's cold hand found its way to Mio's and grasped it to stop it from wiping her face. Mio shivered, but she couldn't tell if it was because of the iciness of Ritu's hand or the fact that it was _Ritsu's_ hand. Mio's face moved in painfully slow, and Ritsu lifted her head slightly.

BEEP! BEEEEEP!

"Whooo hoooo! Get it! Yeah!" A group of high school boys in a raggedy pick-up truck barreled down the street, honking and screaming and disrupting the peace. The one that was screaming so obnoxiously was standing in the bed of the truck and waving frantically at them. Mio leapt off and away from the drummer, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. She felt her face heat up as she realized what almost happened. She glanced at Ritsu, who's face was also red. _Nah, it was nothing. We were just caught up in the moment, that's all. No big deal._

Just as Mio regained her breath, she found herself on the ground once more, Ritsu on top with a Cheshire grin and two handfuls of snow. "You may have won the battle, Mio-chan, the the war is far from over!"

Mio squealed as they rolled and tumbled over each other in the snow, getting the icy substance in places it shouldn't normally be. Soon, their sides were hurting from laughing so hard, so they collapsed next to each other, panting and chuckling.

"Geez, Ritsu, weren't you the one complaining about being late?" Mio sat up, her breath causing clouds to billow from her mouth.

"Mou, guess you're right," she replied sheepishly, "Let's go..."

**End Flashback**

Mio resisted the urge to cuddle closer to the brunette, and continued to have a fight with herself about her predicament.

_I need to pee._

_But this is so warm, and comfortable._

_But what if she wakes up and I'm awake too?_

_Yet, this may not happen again..._

_....So what? It's not like I want it to happen again._

_Ugh._

Luckily, she didn't have to decide.

"Ah, so cute!! Look Mugi! They haven't moved an inch!" Yui nudged the sleeping blonde awake and pointed at the two.

Mio jumped up in shock, cheeks ablaze. "W-what!? Where am I?" she faked obliviousness. Mugi and Yui chuckled, which made Mio's face hotter.

"Mio?" Ritsu yawned groggily, awakened by Mio's sudden movements. "What's wrong?"

"I, er... I have to pee."

"Oh. Don't fall in."

"....What!? Don't say such vulgar things!"

"Oi... so loud in the mornings..."

Mio stormed off in the direction of the bathroom.

xXx

When she returned, everyone was awake watching TV.

"Hey! The TV says school is cancelled for the whole week!" Yui gasped. She'd been flipping through the channels.

"What!?" Azusa's eyes widened. "Why?"

"There's a huge snow storm coming!"

"Oh…"

"This is great! Now we can hang out nonstop for the entire week, Azu-nyan!" Yui wrapped her arms around the smaller girl.

"…But we do that anyway, Yui-senpai. And besides, there goes a whole week of practice!"

Mio looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hey, why don't we have another training camp? That way, we can hang out and practice, too."

"Eh?" The bickering girls gawked at Mio. "But how? We can't go to the beach!" Yui looked confused.

"Ah... you're right. Nevermind." Mio sighed, feeling dumb for suggesting it.

"Ano… my family owns a cabin next to a ski resort…" Mugi blushed and averted her eyes bashfully. Azusa gaped, Yui and Ritsu grinned.

"Yes! That sounds awesome, Mugi-chan! Let's do it!" Ritsu cheered, bouncing up and down on the couch.

"Are you sure, Mugi-senpai?" Azusa was still not used to Mugi's family wealth.

"Hai! It's no trouble. Just let me make a call," she reassured as she pulled out her cellphone and left the room for a moment.

The girls waited patiently for their friend to return, excitement and anticipation pulsing through their veins. Ritsu and Mio locked eyes for a moment, but quickly averted their respective gazes to random objects around the room. Yui whistled a made-up tune in attempt to fill the tense silence, and Azusa tried to act calm, but was failing quite miserably as her eyes widened at the thought of practicing in a cabin on top of a mountain!

Mugi returned and everyone perked their ears in her direction.

"Ano..." Mugi was not used to being the center of attention. "It's all set for tomorrow, if you all want to go by that time."

All the girls jumped up and engulfed the blonde in a big group hug. "Yeah! This is gonna be great!" Ritsu shouted above the others.

* * *

First chapter is complete. :)

By the way, I'd like it if you guys sent me random words to use in the second chapter of Mio and Ritsu A to Z. The hardest part is thinking of words anyway, so... yeah. That would be a lot of help!

Reviews are awesomesauce!


	2. A Change In Atmosphere

Here's the next chapter!

Ok, so I decided to alternate their POV's each chapter, so that's how its going to be from now on.

This one is in Ritsu's POV. :)

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Ritsu stared at her suitcase.

She was sure she packed everything, but she ran a quick checklist through her head. Yeah, she definitely had everything, so why was she feeling like she was forgetting something? She shook off the feeling. Maybe her head was still jumbled from the previous evening.

Sure, she wasn't the most perceptive being in the universe, but she always seemed to pay close attention to Mio. The signals radiating off the dark-haired girl yesterday were all over the place. At first, she was her usual, stoic self, then she became uncharacteristically playful… next she was sweet and… loving. The drummer's mind drifted back to the snowball incident. Ritsu had never experienced something like that before. No one has ever touched her that softly and with that much attentiveness, not even her own parents. She couldn't quite wrap her head around what happened next… or what almost happened, anyway.

_Nah… Mio would never do something blunt like that._

Ritsu decided the best thing to do was to ignore it for now. Maybe it was Mio's time of month. Maybe it was just hormones, mood swings.

_Then again, I kind of leaned in too…_

_Or maybe she was stressed out from school and wasn't thinking clearly…_

_Oh geez! What if I scared her!? Maybe that's why her face was so red afterwards!_

Ritsu's heart rate picked up and her breathing quickened. She started to panic. Mio didn't act any different afterwards, though. So, it should be fine.

_Wait! What about the whole cuddling thing during the movie? I didn't mean for us to fall asleep like that, I just kind of, got lost in the softness of her hair. Aw man, I don't want her to think I'm weird and push me away!_

_I don't… you know… like girls. Right?_

_…Of course not._

The brunette made a silent vow to herself to make sure things were back to normal when they went on this trip. She glanced at her phone. It was almost noon.

"Damn, I gotta go!"

xXx

They were all meeting at Mugi's house, and then they were taking the train out to the resort, which was called Perfect North. It wasn't a private resort, like the lot on the beach, but the cabin itself was owned by the Kotobukis, so the would have it all them to themselves. Azusa seemed the most excited. All the girls were present in Mugi's living room, and were listening to various skiing escapades as told by the young guitarist. Her family visited the resort often, and Azusa seemed to have plenty of experience on the slopes. She even claimed to be able to brave the more advanced ones. However, it wasn't the skiing she was most anticipating.

"I'm glad we're going to get to practice even though school's out!" She chirped, smiling broadly.

"That's all you ever want to do, Azu-nyan!" Yui complained to her "protégé," as she secretly dubbed her. The brunette poked her on the cheek, a pout on her face. Azusa blushed and slapped the hand away, mumbling indignantly.

Ritsu was sitting next to her best friend, as usual, but trying not to accidentally brush against her.

"Uh, I guess there's something I should tell you guys," Ritsu scratched the back of her head, grinning. Azusa and Yui stopped their antics and the rest of the girls turned their heads to their so-called leader. "I've never been skiing before!" She threw her hands up in a dramatic fashion and sighed in much the same way.

Yui's eyes almost bulged out of her head. Azusa didn't look much different. Mugi smiled in a way that Ritsu couldn't quite identify. Mio just smirked.

"You mean Ritsu The Great can't even ski?" The dark-haired girl teased, clearly enjoying the fact that she had the advantage in this area of skill. Ritsu glared at her.

"No, Ritsu The Great cannot ski!" She crossed her arms and tilted her chin up, trying to retain her dignity.

"B-But… it seems like something you would definitely know how to do, Ricchan!" Yui was shocked to say the least. "I mean, considering how much you like thrills and adventure!"

Ritsu shrugged. "Heh, my family doesn't get to go on vacations very often… and…" She trailed off, leaving them hanging.

She didn't want to talk about how her family was struggling slightly in the financial region. Her father left when she was very little, and her mother had to raise two kids on one salary. They weren't poor, but they just couldn't afford too many luxuries. This was the wrong environment to talk about all of this, and she didn't want to make Mugi feel bad. An awkward silence fell like a blanket over the room.

Fortunately, Mio knew about her family life and read the situation.

"Hey, what time is it? Shouldn't we head out soon if we're going to catch our train?" The bassist smoothly changed the subject. Ritsu sent her a grateful look, which the dark-haired girl returned with a knowing smile.

"Ah, yes! Thanks for the reminder, Mio-chan," Mugi's eyes lit up, then she clapped her hands together and picked up her suitcase. The blonde led the way out of the house and to the large SUV. The driver helped pack all of their belongings into the trunk, and there was just enough room for them to squeeze in the back seats.

"Yosh! Here we go!" Ritsu pumped her fist in the air as the car pulled out of the rather long driveway. Mio flicked her on the ear, complaining that they were in too small of a space for her to be yelling like a baboon.

It took about thirty minutes to get to the train station. Normally it would only take fifteen, but they had to stop because Yui had to pee.

Twice.

Mio banned soft drinks after that.

Despite the minor delays, things went rather smoothly until about halfway through the train ride. Ritsu was sitting in between Mio and Mugi, and Mio had the window seat. Yui and Azusa took the seats opposite of them. Giitah had the window seat.

The trip was going to be four hours long.

Ritsu was awfully, horribly, impossibly bored. So, about an hour into the trip, she became restless. She played the air drums, counted everyone in their car, counted all the bald people in their car, imagined all the bald people in their car with a handlebar mustache, got hit by Mio for laughing too loudly at imagining the bald people with handlebar mustaches…. and twiddled her thumbs. She soon gave up and glanced at her dark-haired friend, who was currently gazing through the window and listening to her iPod. Ritsu poked Mio on the shoulder and gestured to share the earphones. Mio nodded and let the brunette take one.

Mio was listening to "I'm Yours" by The Script. Ritsu liked the band because the drum beats were captivating, but she wasn't familiar with this song, as she preferred the faster tempo type. This was soothing.

**I listen close for I'm not smart**

**You wrap your thoughts in works of art**

**And they're hanging on the walls of my heart**

Ritsu's amber eyes slowly drifted back to her companion. Mio didn't turn her head, in fact she seemed to refuse to look Ritsu's way. _Why do these words feel familiar?_

**I may not have the softest touch**

**I may not say the words as such**

**And though I may not look like much**

The drummer tore her gaze from Mio's profile and glued them to her hands.

**And though my edges may be rough**

**And never feel I'm quite enough**

**It may not seem like very much**

Mio shifted next to her, and Ritsu peeked back over from the corner of her eye to find the bassist's cheeks were slightly pink and she had her eyes focused intensely on her shoes.

**…But I'm yours**

Ritsu gulped and her heart rate picked up like it did earlier that day. The atmosphere suddenly became tense. You could cut it with a knife, and Ritsu didn't know how to handle something like this. Neither of them had experienced this kind of strange aura in their relationship, and fear began to creep into Ritsu's veins.

Mio changed the song before one of them imploded.

It was "Suffocate" by J Holiday. Ritsu's head whipped back to her dark-haired friend.

"I didn't know you liked this kind of music…" She nudged Mio's shoulder playfully.

Mio blushed. "Well, I don't really… but I like this song and I'm not entirely sure why."

"...Oh."

**Now even though I try to play it off**

**I'm thinking 'bout you all day long**

**and I cant wait for shawty to come through**

On any other occasion Ritsu would've snickered at the lyrics simply because it was on Mio's iPod of all people. However, today she didn't feel much like laughing.

**From your lips and neck**

**To your eyes, my hands on your hips when we grind**

**I'm fantasizing 'bout what I'm gonnna do**

**…To you**

The drummer squeezed her eyes shut an tried to focus on the beat, but images of Mio and herself doing the things described in the song pervaded her mind. She saw Mio's soft lips, her beautiful grey eyes, her long onyx hair, perfect bod-

Ritsu's face lit up in flames, and the blood in her veins felt like lava, but she couldn't stop tapping her foot to the rhythm.

_There's no way…_

She dared to look at the bassist, who was in a state similar to hers. Amber met grey. Both girls' cheeks turned bright red. That's when the chorus sounded through their ears.

**'Cause I cant breathe when you talk to me**

**I can't breathe when you're touching me**

Ritsu decided to be brave. She needed to find out what Mio was thinking. She slowly, discreetly moved her foot and touched the tip of Mio's shoe, pretending like she didn't notice it was happening. Mio's breath hitched. It was extremely subtle, but Ritsu was tuned to her like a satellite and picked it up quick easily. Ritsu's face turned stony. _What is going on?_

**I suffocate when you're away from me**

**So much love you take from me**

**I'm going out of my mind**

The bassist quickly shut off the iPod.

"Sorry, Ritsu, I don't feel like listening anymore. I think I'm going to try a go to sleep, ok?" Mio mumbled, rubbing her eyes in a tired manner. "You can keep listening if you want." She offered the brunette her MP3 player.

Ritsu shook her head. "Nah, sleeping sounds good right now actually," she nodded her head to all the other band members, who were were fast asleep. "How much longer until we get to Perfect North?"

Mio flipped open her phone to check the time. "Um, I'd say about two hours."

Ritsu groaned. She hated long trips.

xXx

"Hey... Ricchan," A voice echoed in her ears. "Wake up, we're here."

"Hn.." The brunette opened her eyes to pools of blue. Mugi was hovering above her and waving her hand. "M-Mugi?" She looked around. They were still on the train, but it had stopped moving. Realization came gradually, but soon Ritsu's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Everyone's already waiting outside..."

"Oh! Ok, my bad!" Ritsu jumped up, grabbed her suitcase, and stumbled down the aisle, Mugi in her wake.

Part of her was kind of agitated that someone had woken her up. She was having the weirdest dream..._ but she didn't want to wake up from it._

_In her dream, both Mio and herself were lying in bed, but there was a dark, ambiguous figure in between them. _

_The shadowy figure suddenly rose up and pinned Ritsu to the bed, hovering above her menacingly. Ritsu struggled, but the figure was far to strong. Gradually, the shadows melted off the humanoid and it became apparent that it was a boy. He had brownish hair and amber eyes, and wore a yellow headband._

_It was a male version of Ritsu._

_"You can't have her, you dumbass. She wants me."_

_Ritsu's eyes widened in shock before she growled at the boy. "Ergh! Get off me!" Ritsu pushed with all her might and the boy disappeared into a puff of black smoke. Mio pulled the drummer into a tight embrace._

_"Ritsu!"_

_Mio placed a soft hand on Ritsu's cheek and leaned in, capturing her lips in a gentle kiss. When she pulled away she mumbled, "Why aren't you trying harder?"_

Ritsu shook her head furiously as if the rid her mind of the disconcerting images of her dream. She glanced up to find Yui, Azusa, Mugi, and Mio giving her strange looks.

This was going to be a long week.

* * *

Ugh... I'm sick.

Let me know if this chapter seems "off" in any way, cause I can't seem to concentrate as well when I have a massive headache....haha.

The dream was not made up, it was actually a dream I had a long time ago. ;)


	3. Slow Start

**Chapter 3**

"Amazing!" Yui's eyes were wide and she couldn't keep her feet from dancing excitedly on the snow covered pavement. The girls stood before a massive two-story log cabin. Mio was surprised that it was actually made out of logs, but she figured it was mostly to emphasize a homely image. Despite that, the house seemed modern and hopefully up to date in terms of heating devices.

As they picked up their luggage and marched to the front door, Mio struggled to clear her mind. She didn't want to think about the achingly awkward train ride. And she most certainly didn't want to think about the tension between her and her best friend. And her bold, bright smile… audacious, amber eyes…

It was wrong.

She shook her head in shame and irritation as she stepped through the threshold. She drew in a sharp intake of air when she saw the inside of the cabin. The door opened to a large living room area complete with two couches, a recliner, a flat screen TV, and a bear skin rug. Over head was a massive, intricate chandelier that basked the room in a warm glow. To their left was a wide staircase that curved slightly on its way up, leading to rooms most likely as gorgeous and comfortable as the living space before them. Past the TV, the marble counter to the kitchen was visible, complete with a basket of fresh fruit sitting on top.

"Oi, you gonna stand and stare at the place all day or are you gonna let me come in before I freeze to death out here?" Ritsu grumbled from behind. Mio squeaked and moved aside, she was blocking everyone from getting in.

"There are two bedrooms upstairs," Mugi pointed to the staircase. Yui grabbed Azusa without a word and bolted to the second floor, the wind from her speed ruffling the remaining band members' hair, accompanied by a yelp from the young victim. Mugi chuckled lightly and Mio rolled her eyes. Feeling uneasy, the dark-haired girl glanced behind her. Ritsu was still standing by the door, her head slightly bowed as if she was deep in thought. Normally, she would be right behind Yui, racing through the house and exploring every nook and cranny. Mio cocked her head to the side.

"Ritsu?" She called warily. The drummer's head snapped up and she glanced every which way, as if she didn't know where she was. Mio rubbed her nose awkwardly. "Er, did you want to find a room?"

The brunette grinned. "Yeah, yeah Mio-chan! Let's go!" Mio suddenly found herself being pulled up the stairs just like poor Azu-nyan.

_She was probably just tired from the trip. She'd just woken up, after all._

"Whoa," Mio heard her companion whisper breathlessly as she flung open the door. The bedroom was huge, but what caught Mio's attention was the bed, which was at least king-sized. Her heart sank.

They would have to share it.

Any day before this, it wouldn't have been a big deal, but for some reason she just didn't feel comfortable around Ritsu anymore. She considered asking Mugi to switch rooms with her but that would definitely hurt Ritsu. She could feel her face heating up in embarrassment as she glanced at the brunette, who was currently jumping up and down on the bed like a chimpanzee. Mio couldn't stifle a giggle despite herself.

"I am King Kong! None shall trespass on my territory! Muwahahaha!" the rambunctious teen beat her chest and pointed at Mio. "You dare to challenge me!?"

Mio rolled her eyes for the second time within the past five minutes. But, she felt a little bit of the burden lift from her shoulders. Maybe they were alright after all.

_It's all in my head. Just relax an enjoy this vacat- I mean… training camp._

The bassist chuckled and pointed right back. "What if I do?"

Ritsu's eyes widened in shock for a split second, but then the wide Cheshire grin reappeared. Mio didn't blame her though. It was rare that she join Ritsu's silly games, much less willingly. Mio laughed again and hopped on the bed.

"Godzilla!? My arch nemesis…" Ritsu growled, hunching over as if she was about to pounce. Mio raised an eyebrow, but then smirked.

"Yes, 'tis I." Mio crossed her arms, trying to come off arrogant and cocky. "And I have returned to claim my territory!" She gestured to the bed beneath them.

"Foolish lizard… I shall teach you a lesson." The fiery girl retaliated.

"Hm, bring it on, ya big baboon." Mio stuck out her tongue.

Ritsu growled once more before tackling the taller girl onto the soft cushions. Mio felt a pair of arms encircle her arms and waist, and fingers begin to tickle her relentlessly. Mio twisted her body in attempt to get out of the strong hold, but it was difficult because she was laughing so hard. They rolled several times before Mio landed on top, pinning Ritsu's hands over her head.

"I win… Mr. Kong," Mio panted, towering above a bewildered and blushing Ritsu. Mio struggled to catch her breath before she realized their position.

_Oh, crap._

It was the look on Ritsu's face that made her breath hitch. Somehow, the yellow headband must have fallen off during their brief wrestling match, because the drummer's bangs were down, framing her wide amber eyes. Her mouth was slightly open and her cheeks were rosy. Slowly, Ritsu's face relaxed, and her eyes became soft. Mio remembered that expression from their snowball fight.

It was like she was the only person in the world that mattered.

Mio couldn't breathe. Her heart thumped madly in her chest as it pumped blood through her veins that felt like fire and ice at the same time. She could even feel her pulse tickle her fingertips with each wild heartbeat. But the blood seemed hell-bent on rushing to her face.

"…Mio?" A concerned voice sounded from beneath her. The raven-haired girl refocused her eyes and quickly released Ritsu's hands.

"S-Sorry… I- er…" she stumbled over her words as she moved to get off the brunette. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her arm before she could remove herself completely and pulled her back roughly. Mio found herself laying flat against her companion, their faces inches apart. She could feel Ritsu's warm breath against her lips as she whispered, "Don't apologize, Mio."

Panic filled Mio to the brim as her heart raced even faster than before. She couldn't even form a coherent thought. Her heart was screaming for her to close the small distance between them. But her logical mind was forcefully reminding her of the danger that would put their friendship into.

_No, no, no! I can't! She won't want to be friends anymore and I know I won't be able to deal with that!_

But, there was nothing but compassion in those amber pools. Ritsu would never hurt her. Just a little further…

_Then again, what if this is just a fluke like before? There's no way they could go back. Get out now!_

_But, she's so warm. I want to be a part of that warmth._

Just do it then…

She felt a hand cup her cheek, and feathery fingers trace her jaw line, making her shiver. She watched Ritsu's eyes close slowly before she went lightheaded.

Extremely lightheaded.

"Hm!? …M-Mio!? Oi! Wake up, Mio!" The dark-haired girl had fainted on top of the drummer. Out cold.

**xXx**

"So… why did she faint?" Mio heard hushed voices as she slowly came to. She squinted in attempt to block out the bright light that pervaded her vision.

"She'll be ok, right?"

"Yeah, she's fine. There was a huge spider next to the light switch, and she accidentally touched it when she flipped the light on."

_That voice._

"Oh… poor Mio-senpai…"

Mio opened her grey eyes all the way. She was still in the bedroom, lying on the bed. Ritsu, Mugi, Yui, and Azusa were sitting on the edge, obviously very worried. Ritsu was holding a glass of water and a small white towel. Was she taking care of me?

"Mio-chan!" Yui threw her hands up in a celebratory fashion and leapt onto the bassist with a bone-crushing hug. "You're alive!"

"…Er, yeah… I'm fine." She rubbed the back of her head, which was aching slightly. "Um… how long was I…?"

Azusa spoke up. "Not long, maybe fifteen minutes."

Mio's face turned red. "Oh, I'm sorry for worrying you all…" She really felt bad for causing such a scene, and she didn't really feel comfortable with all the attention she was receiving. She noticed Ritsu was slightly removed from the others, watching on wordlessly, patiently.

"Well, if you're sure you're all right, I'll go and whip up some food and we can all eat together!" Mugi smiled, leaning forward slightly in excitement. Mio chuckled. "I'm fine," the bassist knew how much Mugi liked to serve others, and how she grew tired of others serving her. "And kind of hungry!"

Mugi giggled, patted Mio on the head, and raced downstairs with Yui hot on her heels chanting, "Food, food, food, food."

Azusa sighed and glanced from Ritsu to Mio, who were currently avoiding each other's gazes in a less-than-subtle fashion. She cleared her throat in a weak attempt to break the awkward silence that saturated and hovered over the room like an stifling blanket. Mio snapped her eyes to the young kohai, who blinked in confusion.

"Er… do you guys want to...you know... go downstairs?"

"Hai!"

"Yes!"

**xXx**

After a wonderful meal thanks to their keyboardist, the girls settled in the living room to plan their next day.

"So, we're going skiing first thing in the morning, right?" Ritsu bounced up and down in anticipation.

"Yeah. But then we are coming back and practicing no matter what." Mio made sure to make that clear, especially to the two hyperactive troublemakers. Azusa nodded furiously next to her senpai.

"Sure, sure…" Ritsu sighed, waving her hand vaguely as if half-heartedly swatting a fly.

"Ok, it's settled then." Yui stood up and hit her hand with her fist, eyes shining. "First we'll eat a huge breakfast, followed by a whole day of skiing, and we'll wrap it up with a few hours of band practice!" She wrapped an arm around Azusa's shoulders and dramatically wiped a nonexistent tear from her eye. "It's going to be a wonderful day."

Azusa sighed and blushed faintly. She was _almost_ used to Yui's constant invasion of her personal space. _Almost. _Yui yawned, announced her departure to bed, and took Azusa with her like she was a teddy bear. Mugi was sleeping in the same room as them so she followed soon after. Mio grew incredibly anxious. She didn't want to be alone with Ritsu, she didn't want to sleep in the same bed as Ritsu. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do? They'd almost kissed. Again. It was getting more and more difficult to brush it off as an accident or getting caught up in the moment when it keeps happening.

_There's no way I even swing that way, it's an impossibility! I don't even know what my parents would think. Would they be angry and disown me? Plus, what about Mugi, Yui, and Azusa? I don't know how they feel about that kind of stuff... And Ritsu, what is going on!? You've been acting so strange lately and it's not helping with my little problem. I don't know why I've been feeling this way towards you, I mean... we're best friends. It's weird. It's wrong. _

_But, when you look at me like you did before... it doesn't... feel wrong at all..._

_Maybe I'm just imagining things. _

When Mio looked up, Ritsu was no where to be found. The bassist decided she already went upstairs to avoid the awkwardness that was sure to ensue. Mio debated just sleeping downstairs and avoiding trouble altogether, but that might make things worse. First off, the others would worry and pry, asking if she was feeling well or if she and Ritsu were having a fight. Second, it would tell Ritsu that there is definitely a problem between them. It would be set in stone. Mio wasn't sure if she wanted to deal with that. She wanted to wait it out and see if it was just a strange phase.

_I'll just try pretend like nothing happened. Maybe Ritsu has forgotten about it already._

Mio stepped carefully into the room, which was dark. Ritsu was already asleep. Mio breathed a sigh of relief. At least she was safe until the morning, and then they would go skiing and hopefully forget about this whole nightmare. The raven-haired girl quickly changed and carefully got into bed, staying as close to the edge as possible. She could only see Ritsu's back, which was good. _It's a shame that it's even come to this, but it must be done._ Mio sighed once more before succumbing to exhaustion.

Sometime during the night, she had a strange dream.

They were on the ski lift, that is, Ritsu and herself. It was cold, really cold. They were quite squished together, but she couldn't feel the warmth that usually radiated from the brunette like a flame. Ritsu was blabbing on about some brand new drumset that was recently released, waving her hands around animatedly. Mio wasn't really listening, though. She was too focused on the dark, ominous clouds that loomed overhead. She tried to speak, to warn Ritsu of the impending danger, but no words would come out. She began to panic. She shook the drummer's arm frantically, but her hands when right through the skin. She looked at her hands to find the were transparent. She patted her chest, shoulders, arms... anything to prove she existed. But no, nothing was solid... she was a ghost. Ritsu just kept on talking, not even realizing the person next to her did not exist. Mio screamed as a wall of snow, ice and wind barreled towards them. Ritsu was still unaware. Mio kept screaming and screaming, but nothing pervaded the air but silence. She waved her arms frantically, but Ritsu's eyes were still unseeing. The blizzard was upon them now. Yards away.

Feet.

Inches.

"Ritsu!"

Mio woke with a jolt. She clutched her chest as she struggled to catch her breath. She'd felt so helpless, worthless. She begged her heart to slow down.

"Hm, what is it... what I do..." she heard a languid, slightly raspy voice next to her. _Crap..._

"Oh, er... nothing. Just go back to sleep..." Mio whispered to her companion, who yawned, stretched, and rolled over. It was already morning, the sun's rays were peaking through the window, tickling Mio's pale skin. She was warm again. Deciding to avoid confrontation with Ritsu, she gracefully got out of bed and tiptoed downstairs. No one else seemed to be awake. She was not usually one for television, but she flipped it on anyway to keep her occupied until everyone else woke up.

_It hasn't even been a full twenty-four hours. Why does it feel like we've been here for an eternity?_

.

.

.

* * *

Sorry, it's kind of been a while. I swear, school is stressing me out. I have to recite Hamlet's "To Be, Or Not To Be" speech on Wednesday, and I have to take the ACT on Tuesday! Just shoot me now? Kthnx.

About the chapter, I think Mio would be the one to overanalyze everything. Tell me what you think.

They go skiing next chapter! :)


	4. Stop Running

Oh, well I'm sick again! Which is so weird because I _never_ get sick. My immune system is usually a frickin' brick wall. _

No worries though, I stayed home from school today and finished this chapter.

Enjoy! :)

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Ritsu awoke to coldness. She shivered and threw off the covers, noting that Mio was no longer in the bed next to her. Hearing the clanking of silverware on plates and excited murmurs downstairs, she wasted no time padding quickly down the steps and into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Ricchan," Mugi greeted the drowsy girl at the threshold. She was wearing an apron and a sweet smile, a plate of bacon and eggs in her hands. "Did you sleep well?"

The question threw Ritsu off guard for some reason. She ran a hand through her messy hair, trying to shrug off the drowsiness that clouded her mind. She remembered closing her eyes… and opening them a few minutes later, but it didn't feel like she slept at all. Ritsu played off her pause with a wide yawn.

"Yeah, slept great!" She took a seat at the table, carefully avoiding eye contact with a certain raven-haired girl who was sitting on the opposite end. Mugi placed the plate she was holding in front of the drummer, who thanked her before digging in. Everyone else seemed to be already finished eating, or almost in Yui's case, who was probably on her second or third helping anyway.

In between gulps Ritsu would discretely glance up at Mio. The bassist was slouched in her chair with her head slightly bowed, fiddling absentmindedly with some crumbs leftover on her plate. Ritsu let her gaze linger. The dark-haired girl's grey eyes seemed more so at that moment. They seemed like rain clouds, a sign of a storm to come.

Mio looked so sad.

Ritsu frowned down at her unfinished breakfast, her appetite suddenly gone. She couldn't help but feel like it was her fault. She gulped before standing up. "Alright, what are we waiting for? Let's get to the slopes!"

The girls cheered along with there leader, even Mio gave a noble effort. After the table was cleared they rushed upstairs.

xXx

Ritsu's teeth chattered from the biting wind that whipped around her face. She readjusted her scarf before grinning up at the ski lift, lifting her spirits in the process. This would hopefully take her mind off of things for a while.

"Ricchan," Yui squeaked, snaking an arm around the drummer's. "Didn't you say you've never been skiing?"

Ritsu nodded, and glanced behind her at the rest of the crew. "Oh yeah, which one of you wants to be my teacher for the day?"

Mio immediately averted her eyes, trying to make herself seem as invisible as possible. Ritsu deflated at the sight. Yui volunteered Azusa, considering she was the most experienced of the five. But Azusa huffed, saying it would be weird if she tried to teach her senpai anything. Ritsu had to agree, and she shifted her amber gaze onto a certain blonde-haired keyboardist.

Mugi smiled awkwardly. "Ano… I think we should all help Ricchan. It's not too difficult, and I'm sure she could pick it up easily."

"Good idea, Mugi-chan!" Yui released Ritsu from her grip and hustled forward towards the ski lift. "Azu-nyan!" She reached out to the other guitarist urgently as an empty two-seater approached the dock. Azusa sighed and allowed the energetic brunette drag her onto it, and blushed when she fell victim to a powerful death grip as Yui squealed when they lifted off the ground.

Ritsu decided to go it alone and hopped on the next one by herself. "Hi-ho silver!" She exclaimed as the snow beneath her skis slowly shrunk away. She didn't want to sit next to Mio for fear of making her even more upset. Even though her gut was telling her she shouldn't, she wanted to give their friendship some space before it snapped.

_Guh, Ritsu. Don't worry about this now! Now is the time for fun, not fretting over Mio… which isn't even like you in the first p_lace!

The drummer preoccupied herself by tapping her skis against each other in such a way that would drive anybody insane. Then came the time to get off the ski lift. The top of the mountain was fast approaching, and Ritsu gulped. This was going to be interesting. Steeling herself, she slowly slid off the edge of the seat. She closed her eyes as the skis hit the soft snow, and breathed a sigh of relief when she realized she didn't fall. She wiped some imaginary sweat from her brow.

"Ritsu!"

The brunette snapped her head around at the sound of her name to find Mugi and Mio barreling towards her, still seated on their lift and arms waving for her to get out of the way. Ritsu scrambled to move, but she crossed her skis and tripped over herself, landing in a heap and still in the path of the floating bench. Desperate, the drummer flailed her arms through the snow in attempt to somehow swim away from the impending danger.

But to no avail.

"Aghh!"

_-30 seconds later-_

Ritsu grumbled as the four girls standing around her laughed at her expense. She was busy trying to get snow out of impossible places to defend herself from their chuckles.

Suddenly, a mitten covered hand reached out to her and she tilted up her head. Mio was smiling down at her, a genuine smile, which Ritsu returned wholeheartedly as she took the hand and allowed herself to be pulled up. The bassist giggled some more as she wiped the drummer's jacket free of snow. Before she knew it, Ritsu found herself in a suffocating, bone-crunching hug from the dark-haired girl. The brunette jumped, slightly surprised at the change of mood, but slowly wrapped her arms around Mio and grinned into her shoulder.

"Well, at least we know how skilled I am at the skis," Ritsu chuckled as she pulled away from her friend. Another round of laughter filled the air.

The slopes were not that crowded today, so there was plenty of room for practice.

"Ok, so first things first," Mio started, standing in front of Ritsu in order to demonstrate. "You have to relax and bend your knees… but not too much or you'll lose your balance."

Ritsu mirrored the bassist, a look of concentration gracing her features complete with tongue sticking out.

"Then, just make sure you don't let your skis make a 'V' or you'll end up doing the splits!" Yui nodded her head and crossed her arms. Ritsu snickered. Yui must have had first-hand experience with that one based on her expression.

"And don't cross them, either! You've already seen what happens when you do that…" Azusa pointed out. The grin fell from Ritsu's face.

"Then, just push off with your sticks and lean left and right to maneuver down the mountain." Mio finished. "We can start off on the bunny slopes if you want."

"Let's do it, I'm ready!" Ritsu declared confidently. Mio rolled her eyes.

The first to go was Yui, which was somewhat accidental. She'd been glued to Azusa's arm, as usual, and the younger guitarist sneezed, throwing Yui off balance and down the slopes… backwards. Azusa, overcome with guilt and panic, raced after her. Mugi raced after them next with a determined expression. Then Ritsu felt a nudge of encouragement from the raven-haired girl standing next to her.

"C'mon, I'll be right beside you," she reassured.

Ritsu smirked. "Sure, if you can catch me!" With that, the brunette pushed off with her ski poles and rushed downhill, leaving an indignant Mio behind.

_Ok, now lean…alright good. Now the other way… got it, got it. Geez, this isn't ha-_

"Oof!" Ok, this time Ritsu had no idea how she ended up in the snow. It wasn't a second later before she heard laughter behind her. It wasn't good-hearted chuckle, either. It was a "that's what you get" cackle. Loud and victorious. Ritsu's face turned flush from embarrassment as Mio struggled to stay standing from the pain of laughing so hard.

It was time to play the sympathy card.

"Ow…" Ritsu whimpered in her most vulnerable voice, rubbing her head tenderly and forcing her eyes to tear up. "Mio…"

"Hey…are you ok?" Mio switched to mother-mode. Ritsu did an imaginary fist pump, she was almost in the clear.

"I… yeah, think so…" Ritsu mumbled, trying to hide her smirk. Mio sighed and reached out her hand for the second time, and Ritsu took it without question. Ritsu was halfway off the ground before Mio let go of her hand and sent her toppling back into the snow. Ritsu sputtered and spat the icy substance from her mouth and scowled at the girl standing above her. It was Mio's turn to smirk as she crossed her arms and returned Ritsu's stare. Her face seemed to say, 'What now, punk?'

The brunette growled and struggled to her feet on her own. "Touché, Mio-chan… touché."

"I was gonna help you… but since you've made it perfectly clear that you are the master at everything I guess I'll just meet you at the bottom," Mio said in a sing-song voice. She didn't even wait for Ritsu to reply before racing off, leaving the drummer mid-huff.

Ritsu growled again before following in Mio's wake.

It took a few trial runs, but soon Ritsu got the hang of it and she was able to keep up with the rest of the group. Even Mio was surprised at her progress. She was still a little wobbly, and stumbled ever now and again, but definitely a huge step from a few hours ago.

Plus, it was always a good laugh when she wiped out, which was not that uncommon. Luckily, Ritsu knew how to laugh at herself, which made the experience much more enjoyable for everyone. Secretly, Ritsu tripped herself up on purpose on occasion just to see Mio laugh. It made her glow with pride knowing she'd caused that wonderful sound to grace the air. Mio's laugh was music in itself. She was sure it would sell millions of albums.

However, the sun was setting and Mio suggested the pack it up and head back to the cabin for practice, causing Ritsu and Yui to groan as if asked to clean their rooms. Azusa agreed with Mio, her face lighting up at the thought of practice.

Still, Ritsu couldn't frown knowing she helped Mio have a great day. It shown in those grey eyes, that true joy that she hadn't seen since their snowball fight a few days ago.

xXx

"One, two, three, four!" Ritsu started Fuwa Fuwa Time, mustering up as much energy as she could. This was the last song of the night and she was read for a well-deserved rest.

As the song faded out into silence, Ritsu clapped her hands together and yawned at the same time.

"Well, what a great two hours of practice. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to relax like I'd planned to do in the first place! Yui, you with me?" Ritsu glanced pointedly at her friend/accomplice, who saluted before dropping like a dead weight onto the couch beside her. The drummer followed suit.

"Mmmm, so warm," Yui mumbled, her voice muffled by the cushions. The rest of the girls made their way to the other couches in the studio, which was formally just a storage area in the basement. Mugi's parents had it redone a few years ago when they realized her musical talent.

It was around eleven o' clock when the girls slowly filed to their respective bedrooms, completely exhausted. Mio and Ritsu decided to take showers in the morning rather than wait for the others to get out. After the their usual pre-bed rituals, they got into bed, the atmosphere a lot more relaxed than the previous night. Ritsu silently thanked the heavens for that.

Minutes passed, which turned into hours. Despite her exhaustion, Ritsu, for the life of her, could not fall asleep. She tossed and turned, counted sheep, tried to clear her mind, but nothing worked. She blinked into the darkness as silence prevailed. Suddenly, she heard rustling beside her as Mio carefully got out of bed and crept out of the room.

"…Mio?" Ritsu whispered into the darkness, but the raven-haired girl was already gone. Curiosity peaked, Ritsu silently followed her companion down the stairs. She'd just caught a glimpse of the bassist grabbing her coat and scarf and quietly going out the front door after glancing behind her warily.

Ritsu wasted no time rustling through the pile of coats lying on the floor before pulling hers over her body and wrapping a scarf, she wasn't sure who's it was, snuggly around her neck. Next, she grabbed a pair of boots and slipped them on. She threw open the door and thrust herself out into the cold.

"Mio?" she called into the wind night. No reply. "Oi, Mio! Are you ok? What are you doing out here?" The only movement she saw was her own breath billowing out from her face like clouds. Surely Mio didn't just disappear like a ghost, she was sure she'd seen her go out here.

_Am I dreaming again?_

Ritsu drove on through the snow, shielding her face from the wind that seemed to move faster with each step she took. It was snowing again. The wind seemed hell-bent on pushing her back the way she came, but she refused to be driven back. There was something wrong with Mio.

The drummer squinted against the whiteness. There she was, black hair and teal-colored coat standing out like a sore thumb against the never-ending ocean of white surrounding them. Mio was huddled against a small boulder, gazing up at the sky, her dark locks whipping around her face.

Ritsu sprinted to her side. She placed a hand on her shoulder, effectively jerking Mio from her reverie. "Mio, what… what happened? You ok?" Concern filled the brunette's amber eyes. "It's really cold out here… let's go back inside, ok?"

"R-Ritsu?" Mio seemed dazed. She shivered, but shook her head. "N-No, I just couldn't sleep so I came out here to think. Sorry if I worried you…"

Unconvinced, Ritsu plopped down next to her friend. Mio was upset about something, something big. She could tell because Mio doesn't' usually react like this. She doesn't usually isolate herself from everyone, especially from Ritsu. And she especially doesn't go out into freezing weather just to _think_, when she could just as easily _think_ in the warmth and safety of the living room. Mio had a thing with cold. She always had. For as long as Ritsu had known her, Mio hated to be even a little bit cold, and constantly needed warmth. It was one of those idiosyncrasies that made a person more lovable. So, this escapade into the snowy wilderness in the middle of the night by Mio had Ritsu extremely worried.

"Can I think with you then?"

Mio turned to look at the drummer, mouth slightly agape in confusion. She simply nodded, her cheeks turning rosy as she pulled her scarf tighter around her chin. For a few moments, the only sound was the wind whistling louder and louder through the freezing night air. The snow seemed to fall a little harder, a little thicker. Mio sighed before speaking, her voice low and shaky.

"I-I… Ritsu…" she started to say something, stopped, and mumbled her friend's name instead.

Ritsu blinked. "…Yeah?"

Mio whimpered, bowing her head and letting it rest on her knees. Her whole body stiffened in a shaky sob. Her shoulders trembled in attempt to quell her tears, but to no avail. Ritsu's breath caught in her throat.

"No, no… d-don't cry, Mio," she whispered urgently, an alarmed look on her face as she pulled the broken girl into her arms. The bassist melted in the drummer's warmth and cried into her shoulder, the tears almost freezing on her face. Ritsu ran a hand up and down the dark-haired girl's back in soothing strokes, whispering softly into her ear.

Suddenly, Mio stiffened again. Muscles tense as if she'd just realized something. She broke from Ritsu's hold and staggered backwards, a desperate, distraught expression on her pale face. Her grey eyes were wide and wild, glancing back and forth as if searching for a way to escape. Ritsu's heart jumped. The dark-haired girl scrambled to her feet and dashed off in a direction opposite the house, never looking back.

Ritsu struggled to her feet and raced after her. The wind seemed to encourage her forward now, whipping past her face so hard it stung. The snow seemed to come down in blankets and the temperature seemed to drop. The only thing on her mind was Mio, but she was quickly losing sight of the long raven locks. The snow was filling her vision. So thick she couldn't see her hand in front of her face.

Wait.

She couldn't see.

"Mio! Stop running!" she cried with every fiber of her being, her heart was thumping madly in her chest and she struggled to catch her breath. The storm was getting louder, thicker, colder. The wind blowing gusts of ice and snow in dozens of different directions at once. Ritsu wasn't even sure she was running in a straight line anymore. Snow seemed to jump up at her from the ground, wind hit her with such force it took her breath away, she felt trapped, suffocated. She couldn't see anything but white in all directions. Which way was up? Down? It didn't matter.

All that mattered was that she kept moving. Mio was still out there.

"It's a blizzard, Mio!" she shouted again, shielding her face from the violent gusts and squinting into the whiteness. She kept running. The blood rushing through her veins ran cold with fear and desperation. _Answer me._

"I'm here!" she heard a muffled cry in the distance, barely a whisper, but she heard it. She rushed towards the voice, uncertain of the exact location it came from. The wind could have easily picked it up and sent it in another direction.

Ritsu took another step, but only felt air.

She seemed to fall in slow motion. As soon as she didn't feel solid ground beneath her foot, she knew there was no way to catch herself. She seemed to fall for an eternity before the earth came up to meet her. It wasn't snow as she expected. It was much harder than snow.

A rock?

She heard a strangled gasp. Then everything went black.

.

.

.

* * *

Oh no! Cliffhanger? So sorry, folks. ^_^;;

Okay, so hopefully you've picked up on the recurring theme of warmth and coldness... especially in Mio's POV. If you haven't it's ok, haha... maybe you'll see it now?

By the way, I just found a band called Passenger. Anyone heard of them? They're awesome, and a lot of there songs helped me write this chapter. Especially "Walk in the Rain" and "Wicked Man's Rest." Check them out if you want.

Review if you wanna see what happens next! ;)


	5. I'll Look After You

Well... I'm kinda nervous about how this one turned out.

Ah, well... enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 5

Mio raced through the blizzard, tears freezing on her face before they even had a chance to run all the way down. She needed to get away from Ritsu, the girl who caused her to lose who she was. Stumbling blindly against the strong wind which seemed to push her back two steps after every step forward.

Everything in Mio's life was set for her. She was to be a straight A student, talented in everything she did, ambitious yet reserved and polite, the perfect high school girl. Her parents settled for nothing less. Even her grandparents were extremely straitlaced and expected nothing less than perfection. She was to graduate with honors, get accepted into a prestigious university, become the perfect woman and marry the perfect man. They never asked her what she wanted. They told her who she was going to be.

She'd never argued with them. She'd never felt the urge to fight something that was out of her control. Her life was out of her control.

The dark-haired girl stumbled again, snow seeping underneath her scarf causing her to shudder and choke on a sob.

"Mio! Stop running!" A strong voice called out to her, but it was so far away.

_Ritsu_.

Ritsu flipped her world upside down. Mio couldn't deny it any longer.

She was in love with her best friend.

It must have been the aura of absolute freedom that surrounds the drummer like warmth to a fire. She didn't answer to any order, laughed into the face of authority, blazed her own path. Mio loved that inner fire. She wanted Ritsu to fly her away, help her escape from the prison that was her life. She didn't want to be what they wanted her to be.

She was the caged bird. And everyone knows why the caged bird sings.

But, if her parents found out about this… well. She couldn't bear the thought of being separated from Ritsu. They would make her transfer schools, probably send her to a shrink, try and mold her back into the perfect daughter they raised.

That would hurt Ritsu, too. So, she couldn't let it happen.

"It's a blizzard, Mio!"

Mio stopped and looked around. Nothing but white, swirling around and around, making her dizzy. The cold stung. Her heart stung. She didn't remember which way she came, and dropped to her knees, bruising them slightly as she realized she was on stone now.

"I'm here!" she shouted, voice cracking from the effort. Her mouth was dry. She closed her eyes hard, trying to protect her teary eyes from the frigid gusts. Suddenly, she heard a thud and a pained groan beside her. Mio gasped. _Ritsu._

She could see it now. There was a rocky, snow-covered ledge which was a few yards high to her right. Ritsu, blinded by the snow, ran straight off of it and landed in a heap next to her. It was perfectly camouflaged, and Mio was lucky she hadn't fallen off it as well.

"Ritsu!" The dark-haired girl turned her friend onto her back and shook her, trying to wake her up. Her blood ran cold. No response. Mio broke down again. She was so helpless. Memories of the dream she had before came flooding back. Everything was just like her dream! "Wake up, Ritsu! Please, we can go back now, just get up!"

The brunette beneath her stirred. Amber eyes opened slowly and smiled up into grey, before snapping shut again in pain.

"Augh! My leg!" Ritsu moaned through gritted teeth, grasping her knee in agony. Mio's eyes widened. _What am I supposed to do!? This is bad._

The bassist twisted her head this way and that, searching for anything that would help the situation. Grey irises landed on the ledge that the drummer fell off of. Beneath it was a crevice that looked sufficient to shelter them both. It was almost a small cave. _Oh, the irony,_ she thought bitterly.

"Ritsu… do you think you can you move at all?" Mio asked urgently. They needed to get out of the searing wind and snow. Ritsu, unable to speak, shook her head. Her face was becoming paler by the second and Mio felt awful for causing this. Ritsu would not be here, writhing in pain, if she hadn't run off like a maniac. Of course her best friend would follow her, she was staunchly loyal like that. Plus, it wasn't like she was acting her usual self, so obviously Ritsu would be doubly concerned. More tears leaked out of Mio's eyes.

"Ok, I-I'm going to try and pull you underneath that ledge," she pointed a few yards away, "You tell me if it hurts."

"It hurts," Ritsu attempted a grin. She couldn't pass up an opportunity for a joke even at a time like this. Mio restrained herself from getting angry. Now was not the time.

"Wait until I start, idiot."

"I-I know." Ritsu braced herself as Mio hooked her hands underneath her arms and slowly walked backwards. The dark-haired girl was almost _always_ gentle. Thankfully Ritsu was the smaller of the two, or this would've been more difficult. "Ah, Mio! Wait!" Mio stopped immediately, crouching down to give Ritsu a rest. The brunette clenched her teeth before taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry! So sorry, Ritsu!" she fretted, eyes still streaming. Why couldn't she stop crying?

"It's ok, I'll be fine…" The brunette attempted to grin reassuringly. "So, please, don't cry. It's not like I'm going to die or something."

"I-Idiot! I know, but this is all my fault. I'm sorry, I'm sor-"

"Shh, Mio. Calm down! It's not your fault, and we can argue about this later, but right now I -ugh- need you to be cool, ok?" She panted, energy quickly draining from the pain emanating from her right leg in waves.

Mio took a deep breath. "Ok."

She hooked her arms around the shorter girl once more and walked back towards her destination. She went painstakingly slow. Making sure to not cause her friend any more pain. Ritsu whimpered every few steps and she was breathing hard, but they finally made it to the safety of the small cave. Mio, afraid to move Ritsu anymore than she already had, simply sat down and leaned back against the stone wall behind her, letting Ritsu relax in her lap.

"W-Where does it h-hurt?" Mio asked warily. She wanted to do something, anything. She hated the feeling of helplessness. Ritsu pointed to her right shin, about four inches below the knee. The dark-haired girl slowly lifted the brunette's pant leg, which was not too difficult considering they were loose pajamas. It was indeed swelled, and the skin around the area was already black and blue. She wished Mugi was here, she'd now how to handle something like this. "Can you move it?"

Ritsu grunted with effort, but shook her head as her foot remained motionless.

_Oh no, it might be broken. Geez, I broke Ritsu's leg! What is wrong with me?_

Mio sniffed and wiped her face with the back of her sleeve. But jumped when she felt a hand on her own. She looked down to find the brunette smiling up at her. Well, attempting, but the message was clear.

"Hey, what I say about crying, hm?" Ritsu chuckled, much to Mio's surprise. "See, it doesn't even hurt anymore."

Mio shook her head disbelievingly. "Y-You're probably just in shock… it'll wear off soon."

Ritsu chuckled again. "Way to be positive, Mio-chan."

Mio's averted her eyes guiltily and wrung her hands together in nervousness. Ritsu reached above her head and grabbed the dark-haired girl's hands, effectively stopping her from the needless fretting.

"Look, it's all going to be ok. We'll just wait out the storm and go back in when it clears up. There's nothing to worry about, got it?"

Mio shook her head. "B-But, if I hadn't freaked out like I did none of this would've-"

"Mio, it's not your fault… geez. I lied when I said we could argue about it later, I don't want to argue. So stop blaming yourself, it's not like you asked for a blizzard to happen at this particular moment!" The tone in Ritsu's voice was starting to sound impatient.

"…I'm sorry."

"Don't apolo-, you know what, forget it. I forgive you, even though you didn't do anything wrong."

Mio wanted desperately to argue. She wanted to make Ritsu angry at her like she deserved. She needed to be told what she did was an idiotic thing to do and she should pay dearly for hurting her friend. Mio couldn't find her voice and buried her face into Ritsu's shoulder instead. It was an awkward position. The drummer was sitting more upright from when she'd been speaking more heatedly, and Mio was sitting cross legged behind her, clutching the brunette's arms and face buried into the back of her shoulder.

The raven-haired girl felt Ritsu tense. "W-Why did you… run anyway?"

Mio stiffened, she didn't want to answer that question. She could feel her face heating up, it slowly crept up her neck and flooded her head. It made more tears spill hotly, as if they were trying to escape the heat. That's when she realized she was too close to Ritsu.

_…Too close!_

She let go of the drummer and pressed herself against the rock behind her, causing Ritsu to fall back and cry out from the sudden movement. Mio gasped as she realized her mistake and apologized profusely, grasping at her own hair in anxiety. Ritsu reassured her for about the tenth time, lied back down, and rested her head in the distraught girl's lap. Mio sighed.

"So… why did you run? You looked at me like I was a monster or something," she clenched her teeth as she shifted her leg to a slightly more comfortable position. "I mean, I know I like to scare you and stuff, but seriously, I wasn't even doing anything like that…"

"Well, um…" Mio didn't want to say the reason she ran, mostly because she didn't have a reason. She just… freaked out when Ritsu held her close. She felt… free for a moment, like she could do whatever she wanted and everything would be ok. That feeling scared her, and she needed to escape what she didn't understand. But they were trapped now. Trapped underneath this rock in a blizzard nowhere close to home.

There was no running away.

Ritsu waited silently. Patiently. Since when was Tainaka Ritsu patient? Mio glanced down at her companion. Grey met amber.

"Mio, it's ok to tell me what's bothering you. I'm you're best friend, right?"

"Yeah, of course…" she trailed off, apprehensive. Even if she wanted to tell Ritsu her feelings, she would still hold herself back because of her accursed shyness disease. "But, I-I don't want to talk about it…"

Ritsu sighed, but said nothing. Mio forced her muscles to relax, she didn't have to say anything if she wasn't ready. She ran her fingers through the brunette's hair absentmindedly, recognizing vaguely that Ritsu had her hair down.

_Has it been down this entire time? Yeah, Ritsu doesn't sleep with her headband on… How long have we been out here, anyway? I wonder if the others have even noticed we're gone. Doubt it, they were all fast asleep._

Ritsu's eyes fluttered shut at the soothing motions of Mio's fingers, calloused from playing the bass. Mio's eyes softened at the sight, the drummer was adorable with her bangs down. She blushed at her own thought.

Without opening her eyes, Ritsu mumbled, "I think I know why you ran away."

"Hm?" Mio's heart skipped a beat, but then she laughed to herself. There's no way Ritsu figured it out on her own. Then again… all those time they'd almost kis-

"Can I tell you my theory?"

"I, er… w-well…"

Ritsu took a deep breath, eyes still closed. "Well… my theory is that you're afraid of me for some reason… am I right?" She opened one eye and peered up at Mio.

Silence.

"I can tell because even now, you're acting different. One minute you avoid me like the plague, next you're worried sick about me! …Usually you just hit me for being a jerk and move on. Did I do something?"

The silence pounded in Mio's ears, heart thumping frantically.

"I'm not... afraid of you…" she mumbled.

Ritsu grinned, but it had a trace of sadness in it. "What is it then?'

_Agh, questions, questions!_ Mio wished with every fiber of her being that the drummer would just drop it.

"I'm afraid of… hurting… you…?"

Ritsu burst out in laughter, clutching her stomach. "Mio, I think it's a little late for that!"

"H-Hey! You said it wasn't my fault!"

"I-It's not! I was just kidding! Geez…" The brunette tried not to grimace at the repercussions of her sudden movement. Mio caught the flicker of pain flash across her face and her heart ached.

"So… you're afraid of… hurting me? I don't understand…" she said as soon as they'd settled down again. The blizzard seemed to be intensifying as the wind whipped the snow from the ground. Both girls watched the storm rage outside with fascination. Their cave was completely still compared to out there. "I mean… you hit me all the time, but that's normal for us, and I don't really mind it."

"I-I… Ritsu… d-don't make me say it… p-please," the dark-haired girl whispered. She was cornered.

"That must mean you don't want to hurt me… emotionally…?" Ritsu wondered out loud. "But that's understandable, Mio… we're friends, of course you don't want to hurt me. Explain?"

It seemed the adrenaline of their mad chase was wearing off, because Ritsu's voice was becoming more and more constricted with effort to bite back the ache in her leg.

"Because you hurt me when you looked at me like I'd burned you... you hurt me when you ran away even though I begged you to stop."

Mio couldn't breathe as guilt seemed to fill her lungs with lead. She swallowed with some struggle, and her hands shook. She couldn't speak.

"…You hurt me when… you're too afraid to tell me your feelings, Mio."

That did it. Mio couldn't take it anymore. She burst out in tears once more.

"I'm sorry, Ritsu! I just can't tell yo-"

Suddenly, she felt hands around her head and neck as she was pulled down inches from Ritsu's face. The drummer's range of movement was limited and they were practically looking at each other upside down.

"Stop thinking for once!" The brunette pleaded before slowly reaching up and touching her lips softly to Mio's.

Mio gasped and pulled away on instinct, immediately regretting it when she saw Ritsu's shocked expression.

Realizing what had happened, Mio, grey eyes wide with fear, slowly… painstakingly leaned back down to Ritsu… but stopped before their noses grazed each other. Her heart was thumping thunderously and she could only imagine how red her face was. She attempted to blink back the tears that still burned behind her eyes, but her quivering lips conveyed her anxiety anyway.

The drummer smiled softly, reassuringly, beneath the bassist, taking her actions as quiet permission to try again. This time she gently took Mio's face in her hands and pressed her lips to the dark-haired girl's shaking ones.

Lightning raced through Mio's veins. Her mind blanked. She could only vaguely recognize how soft and incredibly warm Ritsu was. The warmth spread from her lips to her face to the rest of her body and completely relaxed her. She gently ran her fingers through the brunette locks and deepened the kiss.

Suddenly, Mio felt Ritsu grimace into the kiss and she quickly pulled back, forgetting about the brunette's leg. Well, for those few seconds, she'd forgotten about everything. It felt amazing.

"I'm sorry…. I-I forgot about your leg…" Mio whispered shakily, afraid to speak any louder as to ruin the moment.

"I'm fine as long as I don't move too much..." Ritsu whispered back, an awed, dazed expression gracing her features. Mio couldn't help but melt at the adorable look on her face. And knowing that she caused it was… oddly satisfying.

She glanced back down to find Ritsu smirking impishly back up at her.

"I knew it. You like me."

Mio's face lit up faster than a brush fire. In any other circumstance she would've smacked the shorter girl into apologizing, but she couldn't bring herself to, considering the current state the drummer was in. She valiantly resisted the impulse and took a deep breath, effectively calming herself down.

"Yes…" Was all she could trust herself to say. Ritsu's amber eyes visibly softened.

"I like you, too… Mio."

"Heh… I kinda figured that out when you… er… kissed me?"

"Well, I just thought it should've been said anyway."

"…Yeah."

"Hey.. remember when we had that snowball fight, and we ended up covered in snow, and you were really pissed off... and I promised that I'd make it up to you somehow?."

"Yes, I remember." Mio knew where this was going.

"Did I do a good job?"

Mio just chuckled and shook her head in disbelief. Ritsu had an accomplished look on her face. That was the first time Mio had laughed all night.

They settled into a comfortable silence, letting themselves sink into their own thoughts. Mio's finger's found short brown locks once more and Ritsu sighed contentedly.

_There's one thing I know…_

Mio, gathering up all the courage she had left, leaned down and pressed her cold lips to Ritsu's feverish forehead, causing the latter to smile tenderly in her half-conscience state. Both girls were exhausted beyond comprehension.

_…and that there is something here._

"Go to sleep, Ritsu…" The raven-haired girl cooed, continuing her hypnotic and soothing ministrations on the drummer's hair, who mumbled something inaudible in reply.

_And though I may not quite know what it is…_

"Don't worry, I'll wake you up when the storm's over." Mio reassured, even though she herself was returning to her anxiousness over Ritsu's condition.

_And even though I'm terrified of the future..._

"Thank you, Mio."

_As long as Ritsu is here with me... I… I think everything is going to be just fine._

_

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Hope this makes up for the horrid cliffhanger in the last chapter! ;)

I need reviews for this one, guys! How did I do? Answer honestly, 'tis the only way I can get better!

And no, its not over!


	6. Don't Know Where You're Going

Sorry for the delay. I got hooked on Soul Eater, haha! Great flippin' anime, yo.

Enjoy! :)

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**Chapter 6**

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Under the great lone star  
Try to work out where you are  
In the silence of the sea  
I don't know where I've been  
In the future, in the past  
Going nowhere much too fast

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Ritsu opened her eyes when she felt a soft nudge on her shoulder.

"Wake up… I don't want you to be asleep for too long," a hushed voice rang through her haze. She tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down by soft hands. "Don't try and get up, idiot. We're not going anywhere too soon."

Ritsu blinked, she'd almost forgotten they weren't back at the cabin, safe and sound. Suddenly, she glanced wide-eyed, fearful, up at Mio as the memories came flooding back.

They'd kissed.

Ritsu stared into Mio's silvery eyes, trying to decipher the emotions swirling and raging within them. The color grey was never dull, not when they were Mio's eyes… windows to the soul indeed. Still, the drummer couldn't unravel all of their mysteries. And at this moment, she couldn't find a voice to ask.

_Was it ok? Do you regret it?_

Mio stared right back, eyebrows knitting together and cheeks reddening. Thankfully, Mio seemed to understand Ritsu easier than the other way around, and the bassist relaxed. No words were passed as Ritsu felt cool fingers run through her bangs, as if to soothe her fears, wash away all apprehension.

Ritsu calmed and settled back down, looking out into the stormy night. It was less violent for sure, but still dangerous. She hoped morning was coming soon, then they'd be out of this freezing cold and next to a toasty fire.

But, Ritsu didn't mind the cuddling at the moment. Her leg was numb. _Probably because it's frozen solid_, she thought bitterly. She involuntarily shuddered from a stray wind gust that made its way into their haven. Mio must have taken pity on her because she felt a pair of arms pull her close. Ritsu sighed and settled back into the embrace.

The only sound was wind whistling and whipping just outside. Until Mio spoke up quietly.

"Ritsu, I… w-what do this make us?" Mio questioned tentatively, her warm breath brushing the brunette's earlobe, sending shivers down her spine. The drummer sat quiet for a moment, contemplating the answer.

"Well, whatever we want us to be… I assume."

"That's not a straight answer."

"Pfffft… straight…" Ritsu whispered mostly to herself, snickering. But Mio heard and slapped the shorter girl on the shoulder lightly.

"Seriously, Ritsu…"

"Ok, ok… but I really don't know. Logically… if I like you and you like me, than I guess we should… you know… be together?"

Mio took a long, deep breath. "…That's what I was afraid of."

Ritsu tried to turn around to look Mio in the face, but just as she shifted, pain shot bullets up her leg at the sudden motion and she whimpered. Suddenly, fire seemed to run rampant through her veins. It slowly crept up her body from there and made her stomach clench. She bit down hard on her lip to keep herself from screaming in agony. A whimper squeaked out despite her efforts and Mio gasped.

"R-Ritsu!?"

"Ugh… can't, it... AGH!"

She grasped her pants leg and she was sure she could taste the metallic twang of blood from her lip from biting it so hard. The lack of immediate medical attention to the broken bone was taking its toll. The pain was concentrated on her upper shin, where it was white hot and made colors flash behind the drummer's eyes. But the ache seemed to spread like wildfire through her tightened muscles. Her eyes narrowed.

"Mio, I-I can't handle this." Tears ran fiercely down her pale face. She hadn't even realized she'd moved to the ground until she felt the cool earth on her cheek, soothing the feverish flesh. Ritsu was curled into a ball, clutching the source of her agony.

Mio was motionless beside her, frozen pallid.

"MIO!"

The raven-haired girl jerked suddenly, awakened from her momentary lapse. Adrenaline kicked in from panic and Mio was next to her companion's side at once. She reached outside of the small cave and gathered a small handful of snow in her palms. She ran the snow-covered fingers over Ritsu's burning forehead, but it didn't help as much as she'd hoped.

"Ritsu, I'm going to get help."

With bated breaths, Ritsu panted, "W-What? Its still –ah- dangerous out t-there!" Mio glanced outside anxiously. Sure the blizzard was not at its original strength, but one still probably wouldn't be able to see anything more than five feet away. "You'll… g-get lost!"

"No, we can't wait for morning any longer. I hate to leave you by yourself… but I also hate to see you in so much pain! I'm not helpless, I will help you, Ritsu!" Mio commanded, determination on her face.

Tense silence. Both girls were panting heavily.

"…I t-trust you."

Mio's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, as if she was surprised Ritsu agreed so quickly. But she shook it off and nodded.

"Here, take my scarf. You need it more than I do," She unraveled the piece of clothing from her neck and layered around the brunette's own scarf. "I'll be back. Twenty minutes… t-tops, ok?"

"Got it…"

Then, glancing (rather unnecessarily) around, Mio leant down and seemed to aim for Ritsu's lips, but decided against it and placed a quick and unsure kiss on the drummer's feverish forehead. Both blushed and averted their respective gazes. Mio started to crawl out of the cave before Ritsu grabbed her arm.

"Wait. P-Please be careful."

Mio smiled. It was one of her rare, true smiles that lit up rooms and made hearts flutter. It made Ritsu's pound in her chest and she forgot about the pain for a moment.

"Ok."

Then, she was gone… like the wind.

A few tense seconds passed by painstakingly slow. A heavy, unsettling silence fell over Ritsu, and her stomach twisted in pain and anxiousness. She was afraid to look at her leg. It was probably twice as swollen and black and blue. She tried desperately to ignore the dull throb emanating in waves.

_Think about something else. Think about something else…_

_Mio. Mio. Mio. Mio. Mio….Mio... Oh, Mio...?_

Ritsu sighed. Was Mio hers now? The taller girl said she was afraid of them being together. The brunette gritted her teeth.

_What was that supposed to mean?_

Ritsu forced herself to focus on something, anything else, but an image of the raven-haired beauty drifted into her mind's eye again.

_…How could a person be so beautiful?_ Ritsu so often felt humbled by Mio. She had always been fascinated with those long dark locks and how they never seemed to get tangled. They were almost impervious to any imperfection. It was uncanny. She suddenly longed to touch them. Ritsu remembered when they were back at Yui's house. How she'd fallen asleep simply by stroking her friend's midnight strands.

The drummer had to keep her thoughts churning. It was working well as a distraction. She clenched her jaw in concentration.

The bassist was so smart, too, and not just book smart… Mio seemed to know just about every thought, every fear, and every insecurity that ran through Ritsu's head. She was an open book, just beckoning for Mio to soak up its contents. One of the brunette's greatest desires was to have that same perception, that same intuitive power.

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_**Flashback**_

"Good morning, Ritsu!" A twelve-year-old Mio greeted her shorter companion as she entered through the classroom threshold.

"Un… hey Mio!" Ritsu flashed wave and a grin, but her face felt stale and stony. She took a seat next to her best friend. Mio frowned and cocked her head to the side.

"You ok?'

Ritsu yawned and glanced at the raven-haired girl. "Er…yeah, why?"

"'I don't know… were you up late last night or something? You seem… off."

The chestnut-haired girl clicked her tongue and looked towards the window. It was raining that day. Ritsu both loved and hated it when the weather matched her mood. It was awful when it was dreary outside and she felt energetic and happy, because she was unable to enjoy it. However, it made her feel at ease when she was down and the clouds were grey. It was like the world was sad with her.

Misery loves its company.

"Really? I'm fine, Mio-chan!" Ritsu smiled again. The ashen-eyed girl nodded, but seemed unconvinced.

The bell rang and the teacher clapped her hands together to get the class's attention. "Good morning, everyone! Today is your lucky day, we're going to watch a movie since we can't go outside and finish our science projects." The kids cheered and turned to their neighbors to express their excitement. The middle-aged teacher shushed her class and continued, "It's a very intriguing educational film about the migration patterns of monarch butterflies!"

The class groaned.

Ritsu put her head down as soon as the lights went out. Maybe she could catch up on her sleep a little before the next period. After about five minutes of half-listening to the monotone voice of the narrator talking about the "wondrous adventures of the fantastic creature that is the butterfly," she felt a tap on her shoulder. She opened one eye and lifted her head a little to find a note lying on her desk. She glanced at Mio, who was focused on the screen and even taking notes over it, and opened the folded piece of paper.

'Really, what's wrong? You can tell me you know.' It was Mio's handwriting. Ritsu sighed and fumbled around in her desk for a pencil. She scribbled a reply underneath the neat writing, quickly folded it back up, and placed it on Mio's desk.

'It's nothing, just tired.'

Mio frowned.

'I don't believe you... if you were just tired you wouldn't pretend to be happy. You'd just whine about it.'

Ritsu cursed under her breath, and ducked her head when the teacher gave her a dirty look. She pretended to focus her attention on the screen until the teacher turned back to her paper work, then she quickly wrote her reply and practically tossed it at Mio.

'Fine. I've been better, alright?'

Mio shot her a concerned glance before penning a response.

'What's wrong?'

Ritsu hesitated to answer. 'I'll tell you later.'

After reading the note, Mio met her friend's eyes with a soft gaze, an understanding yet worried expression. 'Come to my house after school, ok?'

'Got it.'

It was a long day of school for Ritsu. She and Mio only had two classes together, first and last periods, so Ritsu usually walked with the raven-haired girl home from school since it was on the way to her house. Neither of them lived too far from the middle school, so their parents let them walk.

It was still raining steadily when the final bell rang, and the girls treaded home under their umbrellas. Thankfully, Ritsu remembered hers that morning. That in itself was unusual.

"Ritsu, if it makes you uncomfortable to talk about it, it's ok… you don't have to tell me," Mio said when they were settled in the ashen-eyed girl's neat and organized room.

"Nah, it's alright. I don't want you to worry about me." The shorter girl shook her head and grinned halfheartedly. "My dad came home last night."

Mio's eyes widened. Ritsu rarely talked about her father, and all Mio knew at the time was that he'd left a few years ago without a word since. "Oh, Ritsu…"

"H-He just popped up out of the blue… drunk as hell… I didn't even recognize him at first."

Mio reached out to her friend, who took her hand sheepishly. "R-Ritsu… I had no idea…"

"No, it's fine Mio. He was gone almost as quick as he came; he just made himself at home for an hour or so as he waited for one of his buddies to pick him up. Probably on their way to the next town… to find the next club or bar or whatever. It doesn't matter, I don't care about that man." The brunette waved her hand in the air, trying to put up a strong front. "He never cared about us, so why should I give a damn, huh?"

Mio didn't know what to say, so she just squeezed her hand a little tighter.

"I mean, it's not like I missed him or anything…." She trailed off, her voice a little weaker, cracks forming in her armor. "I-It's not like I wonder what it would be like it he'd stayed."

Ritsu's eyes filled with tears, which she tried to hide by rubbing her face with the back of her sleeve. "Ugh, I hate him. Satoshi even cried himself to sleep last night. That bastard doesn't say a word to us in years and he suddenly appears out of nowhere without anything to say for himself!"

She ducked her head to try and conceal the trail of tears that were now dripping from her cheeks. Mio put her other hand on the shorter girl's shoulder and pulled her into a hug.

"My mom tried to kick him out, but he just refused to leave, saying he couldn't afford a hotel room and all this other stuff. They screamed at each other until he finally stormed out of the house. Then my mom cried and I let Satoshi sleep in m room because he was so scared."

"It's ok, it's over now. A man like that doesn't have the right to call himself your father… don't worry… shh…shh… I'm right here," Mio whispered into the top of the now sobbing girl's head. Ritsu cried into her friend's shoulder until she ran out of tears. When she was done she lifted her head, cheeks rosy with embarrassment. "I'm sure everything going to be fine, Ritsu. I'm sorry you have to go through this, but remember that I'm here for you, ok?"

This was the first time Mio had ever seen her cry.

"I-I'm sorry… hehe," the chestnut-haired girl mumbled as she sniffed and plastered a grin on her face. Mio shook her head and chuckled.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry? I'm glad that you came to me about this, Ritsu." Mio flashed a dazzling smile, and Ritsu felt comforted.

"You're the best friend a girl could ask for, Mio-chan!" Ritsu almost choked the bassist to death with a bone-crushing hug.

"Ehehe…ok… c-can't… breathe..."

"Oh! Sorry!"

"Don't worry about it…"

_**End Flashback**_

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Ritsu wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it felt a hell of a lot longer than twenty minutes. The rational part of her argued that her grasp of time wasn't at its best at the moment, and that Mio was probably on her way back right now.

_I have no reason to be worried, Mio is strong… she can make it through a damn storm. She'll be fine. No worries, no worries._

"Ahh!" she cried out as she pushed herself up from the ground to lean against the wall of the cave. Her leg was useless. She couldn't move it at all but it could still send pain waves to her brain. "…Guess I hurt myself pretty good, huh?" she said to no one in particular as she poked her thigh pathetically. She fixed her amber gaze outside into the whiteness. She couldn't see anything. It was so frustrating. She felt her eyelids drooping from exhaustion; her body was trying to heal itself.

"No," she mumbled. "Gotta stay awake… Mio's coming back…. got to… stay… a-awake…"

The blackness was closing in, but her will was stronger than her desire to sleep. She grabbed a handful of snow and threw it in her face to get rid of the drowsiness. She shook her head and grinned rebelliously to the sky. "Ehehe…ouch."

Suddenly, she heard the crunching of footsteps over the roar of wind.

"Ritsu!" Mio's voice rang in her ears. The brunette breathed a deep sigh of relief. Mio was ok. The faces of Mio, Yui, Mugi, and Azusa appeared at the entrance of the cave.

"Hey guys…" The brunette rasped and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

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.

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By the time dawn finally came around the girls were already at the hospital a few miles down the road from the ski resort. Mugi had called a cab before the left the cabin to find Ritsu. They needed an adult present in order for Ritsu to receive medical attention, so Mugi had her father fly over in his private helicopter. He was there in less than an hour. Mio contacted Ritsu's mom to let her know what happened and that Ritsu is fine. Mrs. Tainaka was very worried, but Mio was like a second daughter to her and she could rest easier knowing Ritsu was under her supervision.

"This is what we call an impacted fracture," Dr. Stein pointed to Ritsu's x-ray. "It happens when pressure is applied to both ends of the bone, causing it to split into two fragments. So, when you fell off the ledge, you must've landed with all your weight on that leg, causing the injury."

The brunette shuddered at the description of her broken bone.

"We're going to have to put a cast on you, but in about six to eight weeks you'll be as good as new," he adjusted his glasses.

"Does this mean we can't practice until then!?" Azusa yelped, terrified at the very thought of foregoing precious practice time for so long.

"Well, unless one of you can learn to play two instruments at once I guess not!" Ritsu huffed, obviously offended that practice time was more important to Azusa than her health and well-being. The dark-haired guitarist shrunk back in embarrassment, realizing her mistake.

"Ah... it'll be ok! We can write a whole bunch of our own songs during that time so it won't be a waste!" Yui stepped in, trying to defuse the situation with her usual cheer.

"Yui's right. Let's take advantage of this time and focus on some original stuff," Mio chipped in. Dr. Stein cleared his throat and everyone refocused their attention on him.

"Well, I'll get a nurse to cast you up. I'll be back shortly." He said as he left the room.

"Does your leg hurt, Ritsu-kun?" Mr. Kotobuki asked. He didn't know his daughters friends all that well since he was rarely at home, but he knew of them through the stories Mugi told him. He was very happy that Tsumugi found some great, reliable friends and wasted no time rushing here when his daughter asked him to. He vowed to himself silently that he would be around more often to get to know his daughter's friends better, he felt it would bring him closer to Mugi... which was something he had trouble with. He often felt that it was partly his fault that Mugi sometimes struggled with making friends, so he'd been trying to strengthen their bond for some time now.

"Um, kind of... If I keep still it's fine... it's only if I try to move," the brunette grinned at the blond-haired man. She vaguely noted that Mr. Kotobuki had brown eyes. Mugi must have gotten her blue eyes from her mother. Mr. Kotobuki smiled.

"Well, that's good. I'll get you all home as soon as we're done here. Have any of you ever ridden in a helicopter before?"

Everyone's faces lit up in excitement, except Mugi's, who sighed in exasperation. She hated to flaunt her wealth, it made her feel slightly isolated and kind of set above everyone else, and it never fit well with her friendly and modest nature. But she knew her father was trying his best, so she let it go.

"You hear that, Ricchan!? A helicopter!" Yui squealed with stars in her eyes, Ritsu had a similar expression on her face.

"Y-Yeah!" She caught Mio's ash-colored eyes, and she saw nothing but happiness in them.

Her heart smiled.

* * *

.

Take a picture of  
Something that you're not sure of  
Bring it back to show me  
But I don't know what I see  
In the future, find a home  
Getting nowhere on your own  
Got to find your missing piece

.

* * *

Sorry, had to stop it there. ^^;;

Reviews are great!


	7. I'm Only Gonna Break Your Heart

Gah... I apologize greatly for the epic long waiting period I put you all through!

I know it's just an excuse but things aren't great in Rai's world right now, but no worries. Here's chapter 7. :)

* * *

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Can we pretend that airplanes  
In the night sky  
Are like shooting stars?  
I could really use a wish right now...

* * *

Mio took a deep, calming breath as she gazed up at the stars.

The events of the past few days felt like they occurred a millennium ago, a blurry extent of years. But of course they didn't, they happened so recently that the images were still vivid and colorful in her mind's eye, like flipping through pages in a photo album.

The snow, the fear, the running, the falling, the tears, the guilt, the comfort, the kiss, the happiness. Pure happiness.

Now, she was back to the fear stage.

The raven-haired girl was on Ritsu's back porch, and it was around one a.m. Her parents were away on a trip, not expecting her to be home for another few days, so the Tainakas invited her to stay the night.

Ritsu fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, but Mio, unable to follow the drummer's example, stepped outside for some fresh air.

She felt guilty. Not just because she indirectly broke her best friend's leg, but that she was now something more with that best friend because of it. She'd already fulfilled one of her greatest fears: hurting Ritsu. And now that they were more than friends, the likelihood that she will cause Ritsu more pain has increased tenfold.

The reason was not that Mio was unsure of her feelings, or that her feelings were fickle enough to break Ritsu's heart…. it was her parents.

She knew for a fact that if they found out that their daughter was in a relationship with someone else's daughter, they'd do everything within their power to destroy it. Mio was not abnormal. Mio was perfect.

Perfect children were not gay.

Actually, Mio wasn't even sure she was completely gay. She'd had minor crushes on males in the past; Ritsu was the only exception.

So, correction: Perfect children did not deviate from the norm.

Grey irises scanned the dark sky for a shooting star. She desired to make a wish to any higher power out there. All she wanted was to be with Ritsu without fear. Simply imagining 'coming out' to her parents send shivers of anxiousness down her spine. She could picture their blank stares and long, drawn out silence before awkward chuckles and finally angry shouts and disappointed tears.

She didn't want to hurt them, either.

xXx

The next day was a slow one.

Mio finally fell asleep, but woke up a couple hours later at the smell of breakfast. Ritsu needed help moving around the house, so Mio made sure her crutches were easily accessible at all times.

There was not much the pair could do, as all the roads were iced over and it was beyond frigid outside. Even if they wanted to go anywhere if would have been extremely difficult, as crutches and ice do not get along. So, they resolved to stay in Ritsu's room and watch movies.

Sleep-deprived Mio allowed herself to be wrapped in Ritsu's warm embrace. The brunette was sitting on the floor leaning against the bed, Mio lying back against her. Mio couldn't quite remember how they ended up in that position, but she decided she didn't care. She drifted in and out of consciousness, the sounds from the television screen and Ritsu's occasional chuckles weaving themselves throughout her dreams.

"You're so cute when you're sleeping," a low whisper in her ear made her acknowledge reality. She felt a smile on her neck that made her heart thump, and arms tighten around her waist, making blood rush to her face.

Mio mumbled incoherent words and fought the urge to turn around and kiss. She ran her fingers over the hardened plaster of Ritsu's cast.

She reached over and picked up a permanent marker that was on the floor a few feet away and decided to sign the hard bandage. She felt Ritsu watch with quiet fascination as she doodled all over it. A few moments later, it had "Mio" written in big blue letters surrounded by hearts, music notes, a bass guitar, and a drum set.

"Hehe, it suits us!"

Mio chuckled and leaned back once more into Ritsu. Suddenly, she remembered something.

"W-What would happen if your mom or brother walked in right now?" Mio inquired nervously, the thought of revealing their forbidden relationship to the world still fresh in her mind. Ritsu groaned.

"Good point, but I really can't bring myself to care."

"B-But I care," Mio unclasped Ritsu fingers and scooted away from the shorter girl. Ritsu cocked her head to the side.

"Why? My mom isn't the kind of person to be upset over something like this. In fact, she's actually teased me about us being like a married couple in the past. I don't think she'd be too surprised," She chuckled and let her head fall back onto the mattress.

"Y-Yeah, guess you're right. But what about Satoshi-kun?" Mio needed Ritsu to keep this a secret.

"He'd probably have to get used to the idea, but he'd come around."

Mio sighed and rubbed a hand across her tired eyes. "Ritsu, can we not tell anyone about… us? At least for right now…"

"…Oh, ok," The amber-eyed girl looked surprised for a moment before smiling in understanding. "That's fine with me." She patted the space beside her and the bassist crawled over.

Mio felt eyes on her profile as they settled back down the watch the movie. She glanced at the brunette.

"You have dark circles under your eyes…" Ritsu mumbled, staring at the raven-haired girl with concern.

"Oh, y-yeah, I had a bad dream last night. It's not that big of a deal." She faked a smile, hoping it would appease the curious girl. Ritsu hummed in sympathy.

"You could've woken me up, you know."

"It wasn't bad, I'm fine."

Ritsu rubbed her chin and glanced at Mio up and down, then her eyes widened as she got an idea. Mio watched in confusion as her companion reached up and pulled the blanket from the bed. "Here," she grunted as she wrapped the blanket over both of them, "Sleep."

Mio's expression softened at the thoughtfulness of her… _girlfriend_. She wasn't all the way comfortable with that term quite yet, but she thought if she practiced using it in her head, it would get easier. However, Ritsu's actions helped to reinforce her confidence.

"You're so sweet," Mio yawned, leaning her head on the drummer's shoulder. She felt Ritsu's laugher vibrate though her body, and an arm wrap around her waist, pulling her closer. Her last thought before drifting off to dreamland was how incredibly safe she felt right then.

When Mio awoke, it was the afternoon. She had a dream she could fly. A large part of her wanted to go back to sleep so she could feel the wind whipping in her hair once again, and enjoy that freedom.

She jerked when she felt movement beside her, but then remembering where she was, she calmed back down. Ritsu was fast asleep. Her face seemed so carefree, blissful even. Despite a broken limb, the drummer seemed exceptionally happy ever since they returned home. Another wave of guilt washed over the bassist.

_How could I be so selfish? She's the happiest she's been in a while, yet here I am… being the downer as usual. I shouldn't have to worry about my parents right now, so I should try to enjoy this while I can. Or maybe… we won't even have to tell them at all. Maybe we'll run off as soon as we graduate, avoiding the problem all together!_

For once, Mio was thinking idealistically. And for once, she felt a little of the burden lift from her shoulders. Of course the idea was far-fetched and very fairytale-esque, but that was her solution for the time being.

She found Ritsu's hand and intertwined her fingers with hers, causing a faint smile to grace the unconscious girl's soft face. With her other hand, Mio tentatively reached up and pulled the yellow headband from Ritsu's bangs, and watched them cascade across her forehead. She would've never had this much courage if the brunette were awake.

Something about a headband-less Ritsu made Mio's heart skip a beat or two. She really couldn't figure out what it was. The dark-haired girl ran her fingers through the messy bangs, quietly observing the rich tawny hues with mild fascination. Ritsu almost seemed to purr at the contact, murmuring nonsensical phrases in her dream-like state.

Mio suddenly got the urge to take those mumbling lips in her own. Without really thinking, she leant forward and paused inches from the sleeping brunette's face. Her eyes widened as she realized what she was doing and began to feel lightheaded as Ritsu's warm breath caressed her lips. She sat frozen for a while, trying to decide if she should follow through or abort mission.

She was so close…

"Boo."

"Wahhhh!"

Ritsu's chuckles turned into full-blown laughter as Mio leapt backward a few feet onto the carpeted floor.

"Ahahaha!" Ritsu threw her head back, "Mio… you really make it too easy!" Mio clutched her chest, trying to slow her heart rate while Ritsu buried her face in her hands, in a vain attempt to quell the laughter.

Slowly, the shock on the bassist's face evolved into a scowl, and she huffed indignantly. She couldn't really find the words to rebuttal, as anything she said to try to defend herself would only increase her embarrassment. She just took the abuse and silently begged for her deep blush to disappear.

When Ritsu finally calmed down, she glanced sympathetically at the frightened girl who hadn't moved from her spot a few feet away. Mio was not looking at her, trying to conceal the hurt on her face.

It didn't work.

"Aw, Mio… I'm sorry. It was only a joke…" The trickster tried to reason. Mio glared death into amber eyes, and Ritsu jumped slightly at the intensity. "I-I'm sorry, really… please come back?" The brunette outstretched her hands and pouted, trying to convey innocence and harmlessness. Mio sighed in frustration, but returned to the brunette regardless. She still felt bad about Ritsu's lack of mobility.

Mio allowed herself be hugged and settled back next to her _girlfriend_.

"Oi, were you about to kiss me?" The question sent lightning through her veins.

"Uh… n-no?"

"Hmmm… 'cause it kinda seemed like you were…" Ritsu's words came out playfully, a smirk gracing her lips. "I mean… my headband is mysteriously on the floor, too." She gestured to the item next to her.

"I-I like your hair down."

Amber eyes widened. "Really?"

Mio cocked her head to the side. "Yeah, why don't you like it down?"

"I don't know… I just prefer it up. I can't see very well with my bangs covering my eyes." A faint blush colored her cheeks.

"Well, I-I think it's… cute." Mio smiled, blushing as well. Ritsu looked up, and uncharacteristic serious expression on her face. Mio raised an eyebrow in confusion. The drummer shook her head, and without breaking eye contact, pulled the taller girl closer.

"You really think so?" The tawny-haired girl asked in earnest, examining the grey-eyed girl's face for any hint of a tease.

"Yes," Mio answered without hesitation this time, slightly flushed from their proximity. Ritsu blinked slowly, and pressed her lips against Mio's in a chaste kiss.

"Thanks…" Ritsu whispered with a shy smile. Mio was still reeling from the lip contact when she said, "N-no problem," Which she vaguely recognized as a dumb thing to say and pressed her lips back onto Ritsu's.

Mio suddenly felt like she was back in the dream she had earlier, when she could sprout wings and fly wherever her heart desired. If kissing Ritsu meant she could be free like in her dreams, she never wanted to part from her.

Both were inexperienced kissers, but they were quickly learning the ropes with each other. Mio felt hands on her cheeks as Ritsu tilted her head to the side for better access. Mio wasn't quite sure what to do with her hands, so she just let them lie limp in her lap. She just focused on returning Ritsu's passion and accidentally whimpered from the overload of emotion radiating from their bodies, causing Ritsu's lips to curl up in a slight smile.

Mio didn't pull away because it didn't feel like a teasing smile, but an adoring one, so she let it slide.

They had to part from lack of air, but Ritsu pulled the taller girl onto her lap, much to Mio's surprise, and wrapped her arms around her waist. The dark-haired girl felt very insecure in this position, and was about to voice her concerns when Ritsu simply laid her head on the bassist's shoulder. Confusion once again wormed its way onto Mio's features, but she decided trying to read Ritsu's actions was a fruitless labor.

"I'm just trying to help you get used to it." Was all that the cripple said. Mio felt a grin on her shoulder and she suddenly tears prickled behind her eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you, so please try and relax."

_That's not what I'm worried about, it's the other way around. _She thought bitterly. A lone tear escaped her eyelids and trickled down her face, helping to cool her heated skin. She fell into the shorter girl's embrace and wrapped her arms around toned shoulders.

"Ritsu, I know you won't hurt me… that's not the problem."

She felt the pair of arms encircling her tighten. "Hm? Then what's wrong? Am I moving too fast?"

"Well, er- maybe… but um… that's not it either. Just listen," Mio removed herself from the drummer's hold and wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "My parents would not be as… _accepting_ as your mom."

Ritsu's amber eyes widened in realization.

"Oh… I get it now…" she whispered, mostly to herself. "That's why you said you were afraid yesterday, right?"

"Yeah."

"That's why you want to keep it a secret, right?"

"Yes."

"So, what would happen if they found out?" It was a valid question, but more tears sprang forth from Mio because of it. Ritsu gawked and leant forward, unsure of how to stop the sobs. "Um…don't answer that, I think I can draw conclusions." The brunette chuckled awkwardly, wiping the dark-haired girl's tears away with her thumb.

"Look Mio, no matter what happens, I'll always be by your side. Beneath all these new things we're still best friends, right?" She paused and Mio nodded. Then, Ritsu smirked and puffed out her chest. "It'll take more than some angry parents to scare me away, anyway. So, no matter what-"

She was cut off by chuckling coming from the bassist. Ritsu looked perplexed. "What!" She threw up her hands incredulously, obviously upset that she was interrupted from her proclamation of loyalty.

"Y-You looked so noble, all puffed up and defiant like that," Mio covered her mouth with her hands and stared down at her companion with shining eyes. "I just imagined you all decked out in knight's armor and it made me laugh."

Ritsu deadpanned. "Well, _excuse_ me for trying to cheer you up!" She crossed her arms and huffed.

"Well, it kind of worked, you big dummy." Mio laughed again and rapped her knuckles on the drummer's forehead. Ritsu gave in and laughed, too.

After their chuckles died down, Mio smiled softly into fiery ambers. "Seriously though, thanks."

Ritsu grabbed the dark-haired girl's hand and kissed her knuckles. "Anything for you, milady." She wagged her eyebrows teasingly and grinned from ear-to-ear, earning a thwack on the head from her "Ojou-sama."

_How does she always know just how to make things better?_ Mio mused to herself as she got off of the shorter girl and sighed a deep sigh of relief. _At least now I won't have to worry about my parents for the time being. Ritsu won't leave me even if it turns out bad, so all we have to do now is see how along this secret of ours will last._

_._

_._

_._

_

* * *

_

_Can we pretend that airplanes  
In the night sky  
Are like shooting stars?_

_

* * *

_

This part was surprisingly easy to write, despite the long wait... which I apologize for again. Hehe...

School's almost over, so I'll update a lot more often then, I promise. :)


End file.
